Onwards to JNUSU Elections 2012

10.01.2012

SFI

SFI congratulates the student community for making yesterdays UGBM a successful one. The UGBM passed the following resolution moved jointly by 5 organizations (SFI, AISF, AISA, NSUI & ABVP) by a margin of 372 against 117 votes: This UGBM mandates that the JNUSU Elections should be held as per the Supreme Court Order dated 8.12.2011. This should be an interim arrangement till the JNUSU Court Case is resolved in the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court. The JNUSU Elections should be conducted within one month and the Joint Struggle Committee should make all efforts to hand over charge to the JNUSU Election Committee by January 14. This UGBM further mandates that the future JNUSUs should carry forward the struggle against Lyngdoh Recommendations and use every opportunity for the restoration of the JNUSU Constitution in the future. JNUSU Elections by February 2012 With the UGBM passing this resolution, the way has been paved for conducting the JNUSU elections on an immediate basis. The struggle for restoration of JNUSU Elections has been a protracted and arduous one and the student community is eagerly awaiting the opportunity to exercise its franchise. The Joint Struggle Committee must implement the mandate of the UGBM properly so that JNUSU Elections can be held within one month. There should be an elected JNUSU by 9th February 2012. The UGBM verdict is also a fitting rebuff to the sectarian anti-JNUSU forces which indulged in empty posturing without having contributed a single bit in the struggle to restore the JNUSU Elections. The Youth for (In)Equality, which left no stone unturned to ensure a blanket imposition of the Lyngdoh Recommendations in JNU, did not even turn up for the UGBM. AISAs Role: Irresponsible and Opportunistic The verdict of yesterdays UGBM marks an important milestone in the three years long struggle to restore the JNUSU. When the JNUSU Elections were stayed by the Supreme Court in October 2008, the incumbent AISA led JNUSU was given a mandate by a UGBM to continue in office and do the needful to restore the JNUSU elections. It is important at this stage to assess their role in the past three years.
The incumbent JNUSU Office-Bearers from AISA who held office till February 2010 thoroughly failed to provide leadership in the struggle for the restoration of JNUSU Elections. AISA and its JNUSU Office Bearers were happy to leave the conduct of JNUSU Elections to the fate of an Interim Application filed in the Supreme Court. When nothing came out of the Interim Application, AISA tried to hoodwink the students by selling AC/BoS elections as a substitute for the JNUSU elections. As a way out of the impasse in the Supreme Court, it was the SFI which first proposed that the JSC should enter into a dialogue with the Amicus-Curiae to seek relaxations from Lyngdoh Recommendations in 2010. None of the JNUSU Office Bearers from AISA were a part of the dialogue process with Gopal Subramanium. It was the SFI leadership which persisted with the dialogue process, pushing it forward. AISA once again showed its true colours when it proposed elections to some kind of a shadow body when there was yet another impasse in the Supreme Court following Gopal Subramaniums resignation from Amicus-Curiaes position in 2011. It was the SFI which took the lead in mobilizing students to the Supreme Court which led to the reappointment of Gopal Subramanium as the Amicus in the matter. AISA never took the pains to build a strong and credible struggle for restoration of the JNUSU and always attacked the SFI taking initiatives to restore the JNUSU Elections. Now it is hypocritically trying to claim sole credit for this struggle. After the last UGBM in October 2010, even before Gopal Subramanium had filed his petition in the Supreme Court, AISA launched its election campaign and started distributing pamphlets attacking

other organizations, particularly the SFI. So much for its genuineness and commitment to united struggle! This shows AISAs irresponsible and opportunistic character. It is important that the JNUSU elected in future does not run away from its responsibility of fighting for students rights and restoring the JNUSU Constitution, as mandated by the UGBM. The escapist leadership of the AISA cannot be entrusted with that role. Appeal to the Student Community The conduct of JNUSU Elections after more than three years would be a major achievement of the JNU student movement. SFI salutes the JNU student community for the perseverance it has shown in this struggle and for ensuring through massive participation in successive UGBMs, that a broader unity was formed on this important issue. SFI pledges its earnest support to the Election Committee and appeals to the student community to render its wholehearted cooperation for the smooth conduct of JNUSU Elections.

Sd/Sd/Zico Dasgupta, Vice-President SFI-JNU K Anand, Secretary SFI-JNU P